Heat exchanger including flue flow path guide system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019376725-A1
Application number	US-201816004331-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A guide system including a top end, a bottom end, a lumen and a plurality of openings, the system is disposed within a coil lumen at the bottom end of the heat exchanger coil with the bottom end of the system extending beyond the bottom end of the coil in a direction from the top end to the bottom end of the coil, the system configured in a shape of the coil lumen and the openings are disposed on the bottom end of the system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to channel the flue flow from a burner through a path to heat a fluid flow of the coil before entering the lumen of the system via the openings to avoid a pressure drop due to a tendency for the flue flow to follow a path defined by a shape of the bottom end of the coil.

First claim

What is claimed herein is:

1 . A guide system for guiding a flue flow of a heat exchanger configured for heating a fluid flow, the heat exchanger having a coil having a top section, a bottom section, a top end, a bottom end and a lumen, the coil configured for receiving the fluid flow at one of the top end and bottom end of the coil and channeling the flow to the other one of the top end and bottom end, a burner disposed at the top section of the coil within the lumen of the coil, the burner configured to receive an air-fuel flow urging a flue flow of the burner in a direction from the top end of the coil to the bottom end of the coil, a housing within which the coil is disposed, an open-bottom and closed-top tube configured in a shape of the lumen of the coil, the closed-top tube disposed at the bottom section of the coil within the lumen of the coil to cooperatively form a path with the housing within which the bottom section of the coil is disposed, said guide system comprising:
a top end, a bottom end, a lumen and a plurality of openings, said guide system is disposed within the lumen of the coil at the bottom end of the coil with said bottom end of said guide system extending beyond the bottom end of the coil in a direction from the top end of the coil to the bottom end of the coil, said guide system is configured in a shape of the lumen of the coil and said plurality of openings are disposed on said bottom end of said guide system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to channel the flue flow from the burner through the path to heat the fluid flow before the flue flow entering said lumen of said guide system via said plurality of openings to avoid a pressure drop due to a tendency for the flue flow to follow a route defined by a shape of the bottom end of the coil.

2 . The guide system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of openings of said guide system comprises at least one cutout made on said bottom end of said guide system.

3 . The guide system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of openings of said guide system comprises at least one leg upon which the closed-top tube is supported.

4 . The guide system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of openings are configured to vary in size along a periphery of said bottom end of said guide system.

5 . A heat exchanger for heating a fluid flow, said heat exchanger comprising:
(a) a coil comprising a top section, a bottom section, a top end, a bottom end and a lumen, said coil configured for receiving the fluid flow at one of said top end and bottom end of said coil and channeling the fluid flow to the other one of said top end and bottom end; (b) a burner disposed at said top section within said lumen of said coil, said burner configured to receive an air-fuel flow urging a flue flow of said burner in a direction from said top end of said coil to said bottom end of said coil; (c) a housing within which said coil is disposed; (d) an open-bottom and closed-top tube configured in a shape of said lumen of said coil, said closed-top tube disposed at said bottom section within said lumen of said coil to cooperatively form a path with said housing within which said bottom section of said coil is disposed; and (e) a guide system comprising a top end, a bottom end, a lumen and a plurality of openings, said guide system disposed within said lumen of said coil at said bottom end of said coil with said bottom end of said guide system extending beyond said bottom end of said coil in a direction from said top end of said coil to said bottom end of said coil, wherein said guide system is configured in a shape of said lumen of said coil and said plurality of openings are disposed on said bottom end of said guide system,
wherein said heat exchanger is configured to channel the flue flow from said burner through said path to heat the fluid flow before entering said lumen of said guide system via said plurality of openings to avoid a pressure drop due to a tendency for the flue flow to follow a route defined by a shape of said bottom end of said coil.

6 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of openings of said guide system comprises at least one cutout made on said bottom end of said guide system.

7 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of openings of said guide system comprises at least one leg upon which said closed-top tube is supported.

8 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , further comprising a heat shield disposed atop said closed-top tube to prevent overheating of a top portion of said closed-top tube.

9 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein said heat shield is configured to be coupled to said closed-top tube by a notch-locator pair to remove the need of a fastener for coupling said closed-top tube to said heat shield.

10 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein said heat shield comprises a ceramic material.

11 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein said closed-top tube further comprises a locator on a top portion of said closed-top tube, said locator is configured to be mated to a notch of a heat shield for securing the heat shield atop said closed-top tube.

12 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , said plurality of openings are configured to vary in size along a periphery of said bottom end of said guide system.

13 . A guide system for guiding a flue flow of a heat exchanger configured for heating a fluid flow, the heat exchanger having a coil having a top section, a bottom section, a top end, a bottom end and a lumen, the coil configured for receiving the fluid flow at one of the top end and bottom end of the coil and channeling the flow to the other one of the top end and bottom end, a burner disposed at the top section of the coil within the lumen of the coil, the burner configured to receive an air-fuel flow urging a flue flow of the burner in a direction from the top end of the coil to the bottom end of the coil, a housing within which the coil is disposed, an open-bottom and closed-top tube configured in a shape of the lumen of the coil, the closed-top tube disposed at the bottom section of the coil within the lumen of the coil to cooperatively form a path with the housing within which the bottom section of the coil is disposed, said guide system comprising:
a top end, a bottom end, a lumen and at least one aperture, said guide system is disposed within the lumen of the coil at the bottom end of the coil with said bottom end of said guide system extending beyond the bottom end of the coil in a direction from the top end of the coil to the bottom end of the coil, said guide system is configured in a shape of the lumen of the coil and said at least one aperture disposed between said top end and said bottom end of said guide system for allowing the flue flow to enter said lumen of said guide system from the path, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to channel the flue flow from the burner through the path to heat the fluid flow before entering the lumen of said guide system via said at least one aperture to avoid a pressure drop due to a tendency for the flue flow to follow a route defined by a shape of the bottom end of the coil.

14 . The guide system of claim 13 , the coil having a plurality of coil loops, said at least one aperture is aligned with an interface between at least one set of two consecutive coil loops of the coil.

Assignees

• Intellihot Inc

Inventors

• Deivasigamani Sridhar
• Akasam Sivaprasad

Classifications

• F24H9/146

  Connecting elements of a heat exchanger · CPC title

• F24H9/0026

  in combustion gas channels · CPC title

• F24H9/1836

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H1/205 Primary

  with furnace tubes · CPC title